Headaches, Humor, and Fate
by whitesakura
Summary: It all started when Subaru had a headache and the other Dragons of Heaven brought him to Dr. Sakurazuka – the veterinarian? o.O Shounen-ai hints. [Epilogue]
1. The Doctor is In

Disclaimer: I do not own X or its characters. 

Warnings: Shounen-ai hinted at. Some OOC. Temporary suspension of disbelief needed ^_^;;

Notes: My first humorous series. I'm an angst/introspective writer at heart, so this was a challenge. Thanks for giving me a chance by reading this.

Summary: It all started when Subaru had a headache, and the other Dragons of Heaven brought him to Dr. Sakurazuka – the veterinarian?!

Title: Headaches, Humor, and Fate 

Chapter 1 – The Doctor Is In

            It was a bright summer morning. The sakura trees were laden with healthy green leaves, and the birds were chirping. Loudly. If Subaru had been other than the type of person he was, he would have cursed. As it was, he was still the ever gentle, and polite Sumeragi head. 

            "Ah! INUKI! That was _my_ pancake!"

            That was Yuzuriha. 

Subaru buried his head deeper into his pillow.

            "Waahhh! Miss doesn't want to try my cooking!"

            That was Sorata. Subaru gritted his teeth.

            BANG!

            That was the sound of Arashi hitting Sorata with the frying pan.

            Subaru's head was throbbing. He grumbled, sat up and waited for more sounds from the kitchen. There was only silence. And that…was Kamui.

            By the time Subaru made it to the kitchen for some coffee, the rest of the Dragons of Heaven were digging quietly into their breakfast, occasionally throwing concerned glances at the morose Kamui. The boy looked as if he hadn't slept a wink. He neglected his food, and the collar of his school uniform was open. Draped around his neck was an undone tie. Ever so often, Sorata would ask Kamui if he'd like any more bacon in an oddly gentle voice. Arashi would look shocked every time. Kamui just shook his adorable head of raven hair and sighed.

            Really, Subaru thought the boy would at least be kind enough to reply with words. 

            As it was, he decided to break the tension with a bright smile.

            "So, how's life been?"

            Everyone just stared at Subaru in shock. A bit of half-chewed bacon dropped from Sorata's mouth. Arashi coughed, but managed to still be very ladylike. 

            "Nani?"

            "S-Subaru-san, are you feeling alright?" Yuzuriha looked concerned.

            "Hm? Of course I am." Subaru beamed again. "I was wondering if anyone would like to go to try some ice cream at Sunshine 60 with me today." Subaru was surprised when three sets of hands seized him and began pushing him out the door.

            "Kamui-kun! Please grab Subaru-san's jacket."

            "Ah! Hai!" Kamui stumbled into the coat rack as he hurriedly picked the white trenchcoat off from one of its many hooks. 

            "Kamui…do you think you should be going out like that?" One green eye looked over the boy's rumpled shirt. "I could help you with your tie, you know." With that, Subaru Sumeragi wiggled out of the collective grasp of Sorata, Arashi and Yuzuriha. With a look of serious concentration, Subaru effectively straightened Kamui's tie into a nice fluffy bow shape. 

            "Um, Subaru." 

            "Yes?" The sweet smile was unnerving.

            "Never mind," Kamui sweat-dropped.

            "Good afternoon!"

            "Erm, hello."

            "So, where's the patient?" The man adjusted his glasses.

            "Well, he is."

            "Excuse me, but you do realize I'm a veterinarian," he smiled good-naturedly.

            "I'm really sorry, er, Dr. Sakurazuka," Sorata read the nametag on the man before him, "but the local doctors are really busy, and couldn't squeeze in anyone without appointments."

            "Ah, it is the height of the flu season."

            "Dr. Sakurazuka-san…" Arashi spoke up softly.

            "Yes?"

            "Have we met before?" Kamui finished her sentence. He squinted at the smiling person in front of him.

            "Ohohoho…well probably not, unless you happen to be a puppy dog in disguise. I normally don't diagnose people…" Dr. Sakurazuka patted Kamui on the head. 

            "Ya know, you look familiar to me too," Sorata rubbed his chin.

            "…Although you do have very pretty purple puppy dog eyes," Dr. Sakurazuka leaned in closer with a leer. Kamui squeaked, and Arashi quickly yanked him away from the doctor. Sorata lost his train of thought and placed the two safely behind his back. 

            "We're here because of Sumeragi-san," Sorata's eyes narrowed.

            "Ah yes, the patient." 

            Subaru was busy giggling at the cat and dogs, reaching in between the bars to pet a few of them with the tips of his fingers. Dr. Sakurazuka sidled up to the oblivious onmyouji.

            "Hello, Subaru-kun," he purred.

            "Oh, its just you, Seishirou-san," with that, Subaru recommenced petting the white kitty. Seishirou coughed. Subaru kept petting the kitty. The deadly sakura blossom barrow guardian, supreme master of evilness, and impassive smirks…fell over. 

            "Doctor?" Yuzuriha bent down, and prodded the twitching man with a foot.

            "I'm alright," Seishirou coughed and straightened his white overcoat. Subaru giggled when a brown puppy licked his hand. "I'll examine him if you could kindly leave and afford us some privacy."

            "But!" Kamui's protests died when he noticed Subaru had taken the puppy out of his cage. Subaru was now holding it close to his chest and twirling around in a type of waltz only he could hear. 

            "We understand." Sorata looked grim.

            "Subaru-san, he'll be okay, right?" Yuzuriha sniffled.

            "Of course," Seishirou ushered the group out with a kind smile.

            Outside the veterinary office, the group sat down in a neat row of chairs. Yuzuriha twiddled with her fingers, until she could no longer take the boredom. She rummaged through her backpack until she found her reserved pack of pocky and began munching contentedly. Ever so often she'd offer a stick of the strawberry confection to the empty space in front of her feet. Ever so often, a bite of it would disappear accompanied by a strange woof. Passersby looked around in alarm. One poor boy had to be dragged kicking and screaming back into the office with his injured dog by his mother; he thought there was a ghost in the room. Arashi closed her eyes and meditated, looking every bit the regal priestess she was. When a teenaged boy dared to whistle at her, a mysterious bit of lightning erupted in the room and struck his foot. He ran away screaming. Sorata coughed, shifted nonchalantly in his chair, and continued gazing at Arashi adoringly. 

            "Hee,hee,hee. S-Stop it!" Muffled laughter was heard behind the closed door.

            "Uh, guys?" Kamui looked at his companions, they were too engrossed in their own activities to have noticed the strange outburst. 

            "Who's a _good _puppy?"

            "Hee, hee. Sei- oooh…that felt nice." 

            Kamui shifted uncomfortably in his seat. When further noises followed, mostly the rustle of cloth and quiet exhalations of breaths, Kamui covered his ears and sank as deep into the cushion as he could. Gradually, as the seconds ticked away, his face grew redder and redder. Finally he had enough.

            "Let go of Subaru, you pervert!" Kamui flung the door open. 

            Subaru was blushing, and half lying on the examination table, which was not large enough for a person. Dr. Sakurazuka was leaning over him. The hand that had been rubbing Subaru's stomach stilled. Both were still fully clothed. Two sets of eyes turned toward the indignant boy. 

            "A-Ano…"

            "Ohohoho, I didn't realize I was being naughty, er –"

"Um, Shirou Kamui."

"Shirou-kun. But you see, I don't normally work with humans, and I always managed to calm the animals I work with by rubbing their stomachs before an examination." Dr. Sakurazuka demonstrated. Subaru giggled and turned into a pile of contented mush upon the table.

"I see," Kamui sweat-dropped, "But I don't think that's appropriate, Dr. Sakurazuka-san."

"It isn't?" He withdrew his hand. Subaru pouted and moved the hand back to its original place. "Well, then, I suppose you'll want a real doctor then. I guess I could refer you to a colleague of mine."

"B-But."

"Oh, don't worry, he owes me a favor, I'm sure he'll squeeze you in if you give him this," Dr. Sakurazuka handed Kamui a brief note with the flourish of his signature on it. 

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?!!" Kamui's scream was earsplitting. 

"Well… "Dr. Sakurazuka cleared his ears, and rubbed his head in chagrin.

            "Kamui!" Three serious Dragons of Heaven burst into the room, ready to do battle. Their stances relaxed, and the cloud of battle auras disappeared into three identical looks of confusion upon finding the savior of the Earth unharmed. Kamui sighed, and pushed Subaru out the door.

            "Let's just go." 

            "Please, come back some time a~gain!"

            Kamui gritted his teeth at the sickeningly sweet voice, and shut the door with more than necessary force. Seishirou blinked then looked over to his real patients. He read over the chart of one ginger-colored cat, completely absorbed. Suddenly, he paused. He shook his head and smiled slyly.

            "Even high on drugs, you are so cute, Subaru-kun."

TBC…

Next Chapter – What's really up with Subaru? The Mystery is unraveled. Be prepared for a less than composed Arashi, cute white birds, and a sudden change in Kamui's demeanor. 

Also, please **review**. ^_^ 


	2. The Mystery is Revealed

Disclaimer: I do not own X or its characters. 

Warnings: Shounen-ai hinted at. OOC. 

Notes: The insanity continues! This fic was written during sporadic times of inspiration last summer and fall. I never realized how weird the story was until I dug it out again for editing and posting. I'm glad to see some people appreciate its bizarre humor. Thank you readers, reviewers, and beta-reader Yele! And to everyone else, sorry if this turned out not to be one of my better works, but it was all meant in fun! ^_~

Chapter 2 – The Mystery is Revealed

 "Hmm…I see." It was now five o'clock, and the group was now in Dr. Koizumi's office, which had been a _lovely_ stroll of about twenty blocks from Sakurazuka's veterinary clinic. 

"Yes?"

"Well, judging from Sumeragi-san's behavior," the brown-haired man looked pointedly at the onmyouji who was currently twirling around on the black leather stool, "He's taken some drugs."

"Drugs?" Kamui blinked.

"Oh my god!" Yuzuriha briefly clasped both hands over her mouth. "My obaa-san warned me about drug dealers in the city. I saw Subaru-san go into a dark alleyway yesterday."

"Sumeragi-san's an addict?!"

"He was there to do an exorcism," Arashi smacked Sorata in the arm.

"How did you know?"

"Well," Arashi blushed.

"Ahem!"

"W-Well, you see…" Arashi stuttered.

"Ahem!"

"Alright! I just came back from shopping, and I had bought some tampons!" Arashi turned bright red. "I took it out to take with me to the bathroom, and I didn't realize anyone was home. Sorata was coming in from the kitchen to greet me, so I panicked and stuffed it into the closest hiding place. It was the right pocket of Subaru-san's coat."

"So that's why there wasn't anything in that bag!"

"I knew you were going to snoop around," Arashi's eyebrow twitched.

"Ahem!"

"What, I'm telling you guys already!" 

"Excuse me Ms. Arashi, but that was me."

"Oh, um, sorry doctor - but anyway, to make a long story short, Subaru-san returned from the gardens where he was tutoring Kamui," Kamui nodded in affirmation, "and received a page for a job. He took his coat, so I had to follow him and make sure he didn't find such a…thing…in his pocket."

"That's why you offered to hang up Subaru-san's coat when he came back!" Yuzuriha exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Hey, Yuzuriha-chan, why did you see Subaru in the alley?" Kamui looked curious.            

"Oh me? I was just passing by," Yuzuriha blushed. 

"She was with her boyfriend." Everyone looked at Subaru. Apparently, he had stopped twirling in his seat. He got up and put an arm around Yuzuriha, "You know, you have to be careful with older men, even if they seem like the most kindest, animal-loving person in the world." Subaru sniffled. Wordlessly, Dr. Koizumi presented him with a tissue. 

Yuzuriha laughed nervously, "I have no idea what he's saying."

"Ahem! As I was _finally_ saying, apparently, our patient has taken some medication that is a sister drug of Prozac." Everyone turned to the weeping onmyouji. He ignored the stares and blew his nose. "As you can see, the drug has been known to cause side-effects on about five percent of the population. Apparently, Sumeragi-san is one of them."

"But why would Subaru be taking something like Prozac?"

"Yeah! Kamui's not taking any, and his life is much more angsty!" 

Kamui's head whipped around. He glared. Yuzuriha meeped and hid behind Sorata. Subaru was laughing, swirling around again on his stool. Something fell out of his pocket with a light thud. Dr. Koizumi picked the small cylindrical object up.

"Hm…this is a prescription for migraines, but as you can see," he popped the lid off and poured a few tablets onto his hand, "the pills don't match the description. Some pharmacist made a mistake."

"What can we do?" Purple eyes looked pleading at the authority before them. The doctor threw the pills away into the trashcan.

"Wait until it wears off."

"Subaru-san!" Four tired figures huffed, as the pale man ran across the park towards the ice-cream truck.

"A chocolate cone, please," Subaru handed over three slips of paper.

"Sir, these are just slips of paper with doodles on them," the young girl tried to hand back the ofuda.

"No they're not. They're written onmyoujitsu spells. See this, this one is supposed to help you set up a small kekkai around your house to ward off any evil spirits or homicidal ex-boyfriends." The girl looked unconvinced. "Okay, then, how about birds? They'll protect you and act like pets too." Subaru chanted, and pale doves erupted from the paper. The girl shrieked when one of them flew toward her face. The children crowded behind Subaru began to clap at the magic show.

"I guess she likes them, well, who wants a cone too?" Subaru smiled.

A dozen bodies jumped in excitement.

"ME!"

Five minutes later, four exhausted Dragons of Heaven, each with considerably less cash, dragged home their companion who licked blissfully away, unaware of the chocolate that was smeared all round his mouth.

"Thanks Oji-san!" A group of kids on their way home chorused.

Subaru waved.

"When does the Prozac knock-off wear off again?" Sorata asked.

"A day," Subaru piped up helpfully around his mouthful of ice cream. He had been paying _some_ attention to Dr. Koizumi.

Yuzuriha, Sorata, and Kamui groaned. It was still one day too long. Subaru noticed Kamui's hunched figure, and patted him on the back. 

"You know, you should take one of these." He rummaged through his left pocket, and popped a pill into Kamui's mouth. When Kamui struggled, Subaru placed his hand over Kamui's mouth and nose.

"Subaru-san, where did you get that?!" Yuzuriha exclaimed. 

"I'm supposed to take one every few hours. I didn't want to have to take the trouble of unscrewing the medication holder, so I just put a pill in my other pocket for later," Subaru sobered, then shrugged.

Kamui gasped desperately for air, and swallowed. His purple eyes swirled, and then he fainted.

"Kamui-kun!" Arashi bent down.

"YES?!" Kamui suddenly shot up like a thunderbolt. The goofy grin he had on matched Subaru's perfectly. Three Dragons of Heaven blinked…then began to cry. At the sound, all the toddlers in the park began to bawl too. Subaru hurriedly ran around, offered his half-eaten ice cream in consolation.

All across Tokyo, ordinary people going about their ordinary lives turned to hear the strange noise coming from Ueno Park.

"WAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

"Look it's chocolate! I can get you vanilla if you don't like it."

TBC…

Next Chapter – Kamui and Subaru hit the clubbing scene! /Kamui/ shows up, and it's a night of misunderstandings and embarrassment for both Karen and Seishirou!

As always, please **review**. 


	3. Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: I do not own X or its characters, just the hypothetical situations I put them in for your amusement. 

Warnings: Shounen-ai hints. OOC (But that's expected, ne?).

Notes: Sorry for the long wait, but I was down with a nasty stomach flu for four days. I still am not fully recovered yet. The fan-girls mentioned in this chapter do not pertain to anyone in real life. Thanks to all readers and reviewers for their support!

Chapter 3 – Misunderstandings

Seishirou Sakurazuka's day job was over. He removed his glasses, cast aside the doctor's white overcoat, and donned on a black business suit. He dissipated the illusion he had cast. His right eye, which had looked on so kindly as the veterinarian had gone about his routine, disappeared into a blind one. The Sakurazukamori smirked as he put on his customary shades. He sent out feelers toward the Sakura Tree, realizing it must be hungry.

"WAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

He fell over from the deafening roar that was being emitted from Ueno Park, and groaned. Twice in one day…how suave was that?

*************

Sometimes on a Tokyo night, you could see a few figures standing guard over the city hundreds of feet in the air on Tokyo Tower. The wind would play majestically at their clothes and hair. Their stares were determined, and serious. The weight of the world rested on their shoulders. 

Not this night.

Tonight, it was time to par~tay!

In the club, two colorfully dressed figures were having the time of their lives. 

"Subaru-san looks good in green," Yuzuriha commented as she sipped her cola.

"I supposed so," Karen lit up a cigarette.

After managing to get Kamui and Subaru home, Yuzuriha, Sorata, and Arashi were about to go to sleep when they realized Kamui and Subaru would not cooperate. The drug in their system was giving them vast amounts of energy, and as they bounded throughout the house, it was decided that someone would have to take them out until they wore themselves out. Seiichirou was working late, but when Karen came by for a quick visit the three grabbed her and forced her into their game of straws. Unfortunately, both Karen and Yuzuriha had drawn the short ones.

"Excuse me miss, but smoking isn't allowed in this club."

Karen's eyebrow twitched, and she murmured an expletive under her breath. 

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, but are you sure you couldn't make an exception for me?" Karen took a moment to smooth her red hair. She batted her eyelashes and subtly showed a bit of leg from under her red dress.

"Well, I, uh-"

Karen winked.

"Of course," the waiter sighed in adoration, and sat down besides the alluring woman, totally entranced by the gleam in her eyes. Too bad he didn't know it was there from annoyance.

"You know, you might want to get out of that seat. My lover is a jealous man."

"L-Lover?"

"Yes, he's that man over there," Karen pointed towards the dancing Subaru. The waiter turned around, but the dancing people had moved. Before his gaze was a thin wide-purple-eyed boy, who giggled as he twirled. With the childish smile on his face, the waiter thought Kamui couldn't be more than thirteen.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you liked….younger….men," the waiter turned back to Karen, looking a bit green. 

"Th-That's not it." But the waiter had already left, making a beeline for the bathroom. Karen sighed and buried her head in her hands…now someone out there thought she was some sort of pervert with a shota complex.

*************

Seishirou yawned as he walked through the back streets of Tokyo. Another day, another killing. He trailed his bloody fingers across the wall, getting the red liquid off his hand. A few sakura blossoms followed him like lost kittens, trying to get at the bit of red left on his palm. 

"Come on, I already fed you. It's no use begging for scraps." The blossoms lapped at his fingers then swirled in angry protest before disappearing. Seishirou felt like whining; he had too many pets to take care of, the dogs and cats at his clinic, his shikigami (the hawk counterpart to Subaru's doves), the Sakura Tree…and… Seishirou paused before the neon sign announcing "Club Boom Boom." He could feel the magical mark he had left on his prey over ten years ago. He sighed.

"Really Subaru-kun, out of all my pets, you demand the most of my attention."

*************

Kamui was dancing with a brunette girl, and talking to her non-stop with a big smile on his face.

"So then, Fuuma became my evil Gemini, and kidnapped Kotori, who was his sister, and the sweetest person in the world, but it didn't help her because then Fuuma went all 'Ore wa Kamui da' and kidnapped her, and then he tied her up to this big cross made out of rubble, and out of nowhere, produced this sword, and stabbed her in the chest. It was horrible, all the blood, and the screaming…wait, oh yeah, that was me screaming…but anyway…she died and I cried and got molested by Fuuma, and he was licking my thr – Hey where are you going?"

The girl was running away, looking very scared.

"It's alright Kamui. Your pain is your own, no one else can know it," Subaru clasped his hand on Kamui's right shoulder and looked him gently in the eye.

"Uh huh, I guess you're right," Kamui beamed.

"Kamui, could you be a little more sad-looking? You're ruining the atmosphere."

"Oh, right." Kamui tried to look angsty. A sudden cloud of despair circled the two figures on the dance floor, making them look pitiful, stricken – and absolutely in need of comfort. A dozen girls paused in dancing with their boyfriends, and turned toward the gorgeous melancholy figures. Promptly, Kamui and Subaru were encased in bear hugs.

"Aw, are you guys okay?  
"Tell me what's wrong." A hand caressed Kamui's cheek.

"Poor babies, I can feel your angst all away from across the room." A hand ran down Subaru's chest…and kept going. It was promptly smacked by away by another hand.

"Hey, I can make you feel better. You guys want to come over to my place and have some ice cream, and watch movies all day?" The redhead glared one more time at the black-haired girl before draping herself all over Subaru.

"Nope, I'm okay," Kamui chirped. The girls suddenly looked disgusted at his cheerfulness, and backed away. 

"It's not nice to use us like that!" 

SMACK!

Kamui clutched his burning cheek. Subaru turned and examined the handprint on Kamui's face carefully. Kamui's purple eyes were beginning to water with tears. The retreating girls suddenly turned and took a deep breath upon finding the touching scene.

"Kamui, are you okay?"

"Yes," Kamui looked deep into the other man's eyes. His eyes were sparkling at Subaru's concern.

The girls squealed, sighed, and promptly melted into a puddle of goo.

"Alright then, it's pretty late, I suppose it's time to leave."

*************

"Hm…" The bouncer looked carefully over the black business suit and glasses.

"Yes?"

"You don't seem to be in regular club attire, s - Oh, wait, it's you! Come on, you're late!" The bouncer's eyes alighted in understanding. He pushed Seishirou into the club. Seishirou was promptly taken hold of by a woman and dragged toward the back of the room.

"Thank goodness you're here. The last stripper just finished. Come on, let's get you going," She pushed Seishirou towards the stage.

"But I'm not a s- "

"LADIES, IT'S TIME FOR SOME HOT STUFF – YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO MISS THE DEADLINES IF YOU WORKED FOR HIM. SAY HELLO TO…THE BOSS!!"

A great girlish cry arose at the announcement, and Seishirou was given a final shove, which almost sent him face first to the ground. The shades came off one ear. A great shudder of breath was drawn when the audience saw Seishirou's blind eye. 

Seishirou pulled himself together during the silence. 

 "God, that's damn sexy!" One girl finally managed to speak; other cries arose in agreement.

Seishirou shrugged. 

"I might as well give them a show, after all my Subaru-kun's still out there," Seishirou thought and grinned maliciously. As Seishirou slid off his trenchcoat and began to unbutton his shirt to applauding cries, he searched around the room for a certain green-eyed someone.

That someone was leaving the club with Kamui, Karen, and Yuzuriha. 

Seishirou's eyes widened and he began to tug his coat back on. It really wasn't reasonable to tease someone if that someone was oblivious and about to walk away. Maybe if he hurried, he could catch Subaru before he was down the block. Seishirou was just about to walk off the stage when a shout arose from the front row.

"Looking good, Sakurazukamori!"

Seishirou blanched at the brown-eyed figure.

"Kamui!" 

The person known previously as Fuuma, and now Kamui Shirou's dreaded Gemini, smirked and leered at him. Seishirou's face turned green. He hurried to the bathroom and to a sink, where a nameless waiter besides him was still rinsing his mouth out. Seishirou heaved.

 He felt so violated.

TBC…

Next Chapter: Remember Subaru wanted to go get ice cream at Sunshine 60 in the first chapter? Well, he finally does with Kamui! It just so happens Seishirou and /Kamui/ are there too. What hilarious drama will ensue?

As always, please** review**. ^_^


	4. Ice Cream at Last

Disclaimer: I don't own X or its characters, I can only marvel at CLAMP's brilliance.

Warnings: Obvious hints of shounen-ai. Some OOC.

Notes: It's been a while since the last update, but I think you'll like this chapter. I'd like to thank all my readers for taking the time to read this fic. I also appreciate the comments and thoughts reviewers have shared with me. Additional thanks goes to Yele, my beta reader, for going over this fic with me despite being buried waist-deep in work. ^_^

Chapter 4 – Ice Cream at Last

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Yuzuriha, Arashi, and Sorata groaned in their respective rooms. 

"Some one shut that damn rooster up!" Sorata yelled. Across the hall, two ladies opened the door and rubbed their eyes. Sorata stormed out his room.

"Um, Sorata-san, when did we get a rooster?" 

Two Dragons of Heaven turned toward Yuzuriha.

"Crap."

*************

In the living room, Kamui was trying to make a crying Subaru laugh.

"Look Subaru, now I'm a rooster!" He flapped his arms as he jumped from sofa to sofa. Subaru kept crying into his handkerchief, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like a certain sakura assassin's name. 

"Hey, it's okay. Erm…look, now I'm a penguin," Kamui straightened up and began to waddle. 

"How could he?! Putting on a show for Kamui like that. He never did anything like that for _me_ during the year of the bet."

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not you Kamui, it's /Kamui/," Subaru gave the boy a watery smile and patted him on the head. Kamui didn't understand, but he beamed anyway. All of a sudden Subaru beamed too. The drug was still wreaking havoc on his emotional state. "Why don't we go out for the day?" 

*************

Three figures dashed into the living room. The door was ajar. Sorata murmured his third expletive for the day.

*************

Seishirou pushed back a sigh. He was currently near Sunshine 60, eating cherry-flavored ice cream with a youth across from him who was not named Subaru-kun. /Kamui/ licked his own cone and smirked at a little girl who waved at him. The leader of the Dragons of Earth had ordered a double chocolate cone for her claiming it had been her wish. Since /Kamui/ was so keen on granting wishes, Seishirou wondered why he had ignored his – basically to have /Kamui/ back off from invading his personal space.

"Hmm…the ice cream here is delicious, but I was wondering about the pastry shop down the block." 

Seishirou tilted his head in reply. Although /Kamui/ gave him the creeps, he was the only other Dragon of Earth that could appreciate the sweeter things in life. It wasn't too uncommon for them to go on food tours together, like Subaru and he used to attempt to do back in the past. Seishirou could never get Subaru-kun to eat much during the year of the bet, no matter how much he cajoled. Unfortunately, the few dates Seishirou managed to wheedle out of Subaru were constantly broken by Subaru's work. 

_"I-I'm so sorry, Seishirou-san!"_

Seishirou almost smiled at the memory. The boy always used to look crushed whenever he had to cancel one of their "dates," which really didn't consist of anything more than hanging around Tokyo and exploring new cuisine. Still, it had been pleasant to watch the expression on Subaru's face, being so concerned over disappointing him. 

"Kamui! You should try green tea!"

Seishirou jerked. Two familiar figures were at the ice cream stand, debating over flavors. 

"Well, if it isn't your Subaru and my Kamui-kun," /Kamui/ looked very interested.

"Maybe. Subaru, have you ever tried peach?"

"No…I know! Lets just get a few scoops of everything."

"Okay!"

The teenager behind the counter blinked at the request.

"Um, sirs, are you sure you want a scoop of every flavor?"

"Of course." Subaru suddenly looked serious. The teenager shrugged and began to pile scoops onto a sugar cone. Kamui stuck his tongue out as he rummaged through his pocket for his wallet. "No Kamui, I've got it." Subaru whipped out a gold credit card. It flashed brilliantly in the sun, reading "Onmyouji Cash, a branch of the Sumeragi Bank, endorsed by Japan's government since 1970."

"Wow, you guys have your own bank?"

"Of course, you didn't think _every_ Sumeragi would end up doing onmyoujitsu did you?" Subaru rolled his eyes. "The Bank was founded by one of my distant uncles. He was always the black sheep in our family – he claimed the pinkness in Sakura blossoms were a _natural_ pigmentation. Yeah right." Subaru snorted.

"Sirs, your orders are done."

"That's not everything," Kamui squinted.

The teenager sweat-dropped, "I know, but if I pile it up any higher, the ice cream is going to f - "           

"When we ask for every flavor, we mean it. Now, you better build me a Tower of Babel or else I'll sick my shinigami on you!" Subaru bristled at finding the dejected look on Kamui's face. The teenager had forgotten to include chunky chocolate – Kamui's favorite flavor.

"Yeah! To the sky, man!" Kamui jumped up and down in excitement. The worker behind the counter sighed but complied. While Subaru paid, Kamui shuffled to the left and to the right, trying to balance the wobbling towers of ice cream on the cones he held in each hand. Kamui turned in his balancing act and caught the amused gaze of his Gemini. The boy froze. He began to softly tremble. 

"Subaru."

"Yes?" Subaru turned to face the wide-eyed Kamui.

"Do you see what I see?"

"If you mean that two timing bastard Seishirou having ice cream with /Kamui/ then, yes," Subaru gritted his teeth.

Kamui seemed to be hyperventilating at the confirmation. Subaru stomped over to the sitting pair. Seishirou gulped at the fiery stare. Subaru was totally unlike the shy boy he had known years ago.

"I-I can explain Subaru-kun."

"Hello, Ka~mui," Fuuma smirked. Kamui's eyes widened, and his hands shook so badly that the two towers of ice cream fell onto Subaru and Seishirou. The dessert sizzled and was instantly vaporized on contact with the heated aura of anger the Sumeragi was exuding. Seishirou laughed nervously as the ice cream began to melt and drizzle down his own chin. 

"Fuuma," Kamui squeaked. The two boys stared in silence at each other before Kamui suddenly broke into a big grin and squealed. He promptly glomped onto the startled Dragon of Earth. "Yay! Fuuma-kun!"

"Kamui?!"

Kamui just hugged harder and began to snuggle. Fuuma panicked. This wasn't how Kamui was supposed to act. He was supposed to be teary-eyed, weak, and so alluringly battling against the longing and terror in his heart. Fuuma tried to call the shinken into his hand. Kamui's hold tightened and promptly cut off the circulation in Fuuma's arms. 

"Fuuma-chan!"

"Sakura-baka! Help me out here!"

"Subaru-kun," Seishirou was oblivious to Fuuma's cry as he was currently backing away from the glowing green eyes before him.

"Seishirou-san," Subaru stepped before the man, looking ready to fling ofuda at him. Suddenly, his eyes clouded. Subaru shook his head, trying to clear his vision and the returning headache. His head pounded.

"Subaru-kun?"

Suddenly, everything cleared. Subaru smiled and ran a finger down Seishirou's cheek. Seishirou almost had a heart attack when the onmyouji then licked the bit of melting ice cream off his finger. The mood swing was unexpected.

"Seishirou-san's so sweet!" Subaru giggled. He looked at Kamui who was currently trying to tickle Fuuma. "But Kamui is cute too!" 

"NANI?!" Seishirou looked absolutely livid.

"Come on Kamui, un-hand me."

"No!"

"But I really need to destroy Tokyo!"

"No!"

"I'll buy you more ice cream!"

"Huh? Okay!"

"Subaru-kun…have…I been neglecting you?" Seishirou took both of Subaru's hands in his own. He looked earnestly into green eyes. If Subaru was finding…ugh…Seishirou shuddered to think it…Kamui attractive, the situation was desperate indeed.

Subaru blinked, "No. I don't think so." He began to tick off events on his fingers, "There was the time you created an illusion of yourself in the mall three days ago. The black roses you sent me on Friday. The last time we met where you kissed my hand before trying to twist it. The time you invaded my dreams, almost kissed me, and then stabbed a knife into my shoulder. Um…oh yeah, and when I woke up there was sakura everywhere – really Seishirou-san! It took me three days to clean my whole bedroom out!"

"I'm so sorry Subaru-kun," Seishirou drew the Sumeragi closer to him, wearing a perfect mask of regret. He couldn't believe he had not tormented his prey at least three times as much in the whole last month. It was way below standards, and the perfectionist within Seishirou could not forgive that. "I _really _have been neglecting you, my dear favorite pet." 

"I guess it's okay," Subaru sighed, "Its just that Kamui's allergic to sakura."

"What was Kamui doing in your room?!" /Kamui/ whipped around and glared at Subaru.

"We were just 'studying'," Kamui said slyly. /Kamui/ glared harder at Subaru.

"Oh, _were_ you?"

"Of course. I mean, we do it nearly every day," the naïve Subaru blinked. Kamui started to snicker. Subaru wondered why – he often tutored Kamui, it was no big secret. /Kamui/ looked very angry; he approached Subaru with menace. 

"Back off /Kamui/! I marked this one as _mine_," Seishirou stepped in front of Subaru protectively to defend his innocence. 

"Hmm. You think you stand a chance against me?" Fuuma looked amused. 

"You really get on my nerves," Seishirou wore a flawless smile. It looked congenial and careless – the exact opposite of the irritation he felt. Although he was technically an emotionless man he still felt the sensations of irritation, pleasure, and of course, possessiveness regarding the boy he had marked to kill so many years ago. /Kamui/ was very much the same.  The two Dragons of Earth began to size each other up.

"Come on Kamui, let's go. It's getting boring just watching them, especially since they're ignoring us," Subaru yawned as he handed Kamui a chunky-chocolate cone. Kamui had seemed rather sad when /Kamui/ had not fulfilled their deal after he had released his Gemini, so Subaru had whipped out his handy credit card again. Kamui nodded in reply and happily followed his fellow Dragon of Heaven back to the mansion.

People screamed as the land around them shook. Blasts of light and sakura petals were flying everywhere. Kamui and Subaru passed by a family huddled beneath one of the picnic tables. The wind whipped majestically at Subaru's white coat. The family took a breath at the commanding figure before them. "Don't worry, they'll tire themselves out soon," Subaru smiled reassuringly at the wide-eyed mother who tried to shield her children from the carnage. The Sumeragi glowed in his calmness, sincerity, and kindness. 

The halo burst like a soap bubble when Subaru snorted.

 "They're soooo immature. Everyone knows it's better to work out problems by discussion first, right Kamui?"

Kamui tried to answer, but instead choked on a chocolate chunk. 

"Exactly." Subaru looked very pleased with his colleague's agreement.

As a mass of rubble blown out of the sidewalk collided with a nearby tree, the two walked quietly away into the sunset. 

"Are you okay Kamui?"

The sound of a person thumping on another's back.

And then there was blessed silence…well, except for the screams.

TBC…  

Next Chapter – Subaru comes to his senses. Arashi has a bad hair day. Yuzuriha is sleep-deprived and loses an heirloom. Kamui goes fishing…in his backyard?! 

Please remember to **review**!


	5. Goldfishes

Disclaimer: I don't own X or its characters – they belong to CLAMP. 

Warnings: Some OOC. 

Notes: I've noticed that less people respond with every chapter I post. I apologize if I'm getting less funny; its hard to remain so when you usually write angst and introspective. To those few that reviewed chapter 4, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Anyway, I still hope you enjoy the following chapter! 

Chapter 5 - Goldfishes

"Hello, Dr. Koizumi's office."

"Look, I need to talk to the doctor right away."

"Hold please," the sounds of shuffling, "I'm sorry, the doctor is very busy right now. If you leave your num-"

"No, it's an emergency!" Sorata panicked. There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

"All right, I'll see what I can do," the receptionist replied in a calm voice. Sorata sighed in relief. He could hear distant murmurs from the other side of the line before someone took the phone in their hands.

"Hello? Dr. Koizumi speaking."

"Thank god it's you Doc. Look, a few days ago we brought in a patient called Sumeragi Suba - "

"Ah, yes, yes. Referred by Dr. Sakurazuka right? After he nursed my boy's dog from near death I've been forever grateful to that man. I don't think I'll ever feel like I'll stop owing something to him, even after I saw Sumeragi-san. My boy was so sad too, when our gold retriever got sick. How Sakurazuka-san did it, I'll never understa-"

"Look, I really need to know what's up. Didn't you say Subaru-san would be okay in a day?" The doctor seemed to be in a good mood. Sorata remembered he was much more serious and terse the last time they met. Still, Sorata didn't need to get sidetracked by any unnecessary conversations.

"Huh? Oh, yes. That's right."

"It's already the morning of the third day! And one of our friends also swallowed the pill by mistake!"

"Really? That's too bad."

"Hey! What are you trying to pull?! Just how long will their strange behaviors last?"

"Well, most of the time, it's just a day," Dr. Koizumi laughed nervously, " But I guess I forgot to tell you sometimes it may be more. But three days should be the maximum. Today should be the last."

"Are you sure?" Sorata asked suspiciously.

"Absolutely," although Sorata could not see it, the doctor was bobbing his head enthusiastically.

"Alright," Sorata grudgingly said, and hung up the phone with a short goodbye. He turned to Arashi who looked calm, despite the vibrant rainbow colors in her hair. Apparently, Kamui had decided to dye it some funky colors last night when he was bored, and when Arashi had been conveniently asleep. Yuzuriha looked worse. Her room was closest to Subaru's and he had been playing music all night. Who would've guessed the Sumeragi's tastes extended to heavy metal? 

"He says today has to absolutely be the last day."

*************

Subaru Sumeragi was out meditating in the gardens. The sound of flowing water only added to the serenity of the area. Subaru breathed in deeply. 

SPLASH!

He opened one green eye to find out the cause of the noise. Kamui was by the fountain, wearing an orange vest, and the typical ridiculous-looking hat that was required of all hopeful fishermen. The boy had just cast his line, and was staring pensively into the water. 

"Kamui."

"Shh, you'll scare the fish away," Kamui did not turn around.

"But there are only goldfish in that pond."

"Yes, the elusive goldies! The mysterious monsters of the deep. Oh! The horror stories! People say they've bitten off the arms and legs of unfortunate swimmers before."

"Kamui, I believe you're thinking of sharks."

"Huh?"

"And those are only warped tales. Sharks rarely attack humans. Anyway, if you're going to try to catch gold fish you need different bait." 

"You mean they don't like caramel?" Kamui drew up his line and bit his lower lip as he looked at the soppy bit of toffee on the hook. 

"Of course not."

"Okay, how about some goldfish crackers?" Kamui pointed at the snack he had brought for himself. Maybe the fish would like something he was eating.

"Kamui, that's sick. I can't believe you're promoting cannibalism. And everyone knows gold fishes eat gold! That's how they get their color."

"Oh, okay! I think Yuzuriha has some jewelry."

*************

"My ring, my ring!" Yuzuriha screamed, running frantically throughout the house. Inuki was running besides her, and barking worriedly. 

"What's wrong?" Sorata looked up from the potluck lunch he was cooking over the stove. Arashi was making a salad.

"The ring my grandmother gave me, it's gone!"

"Is Subaru-san still meditating outside?" Arashi asked.

"I think so…but Kamui!"

The two girls ran into the living room where Kamui had been last seen taking a nap. They had neglected to look after Subaru since he seemed to be calming down – the medication was wearing off on him, but Kamui had taken the pill later than Subaru had.

"He's not there," Yuzuriha said. The patio windows were open.

"The gardens!"

*************

"They're not eating it Subaru!"

"I suppose they're full," Subaru answered settling down into the grass with a yawn. He felt so tired all of a sudden. 

"Subaru?"

"You know, I don't think goldfish eat gold after all. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I told you that," Subaru's forehead creased in thought. He closed his eyes.

"Nite, nite, Subaru."

Yuzuriha and Arashi stumbled into the garden, where Kamui was serenading Subaru with a lullaby – at the top of his lungs!

"AND IF THE BOW BREAKS, THE SAKURA TREE WILL FALL! AND SUBARU WILL SOB 'SEISHIROU' AND ALL!"

Subaru snored, oblivious.

"Ah! My ring!" Yuzuriha leapt into the water after seeing it flash in the afternoon sun. 

"Hey you can't do that, you're disturbing the fishes!"

Arashi held Kamui back with a sigh. She looked at the sleeping Subaru. One down, one more to go.

*************

In a cute little pastry shop miles away, two black clothed figures were having tea. 

"Please pass the sugar," Seishirou mumbled around his split lip.

"Of course," /Kamui/ did so, wincing as the sprain in his wrist was aggravated. There was a brief silence as both parties took a sip from their cups.

"Next time, we torture Kamui and Subaru-kun. Not each other."

"Agreed."

TBC…

Next Chapter – Subaru's back to normal, but Kamui's not. What funny business will take place before the bitter (meaning, oh-so-boring-back-to-everyday-life) end?!

Please **review**. Authors just crave feedback. ^_^ 


	6. Babysitting Duties

Disclaimer: I do not own X.

Warnings: None really, some continuing OOC. 

Notes: Thanks to all readers for their support! I now feel guilty for complaining about the lack of reviews in the last chapter. Lol. But seriously, I hope I didn't force anyone to give me feedback with my words. I just wanted to know if anyone had thoughts on this fic, or enjoyed it. Anyway, this nutty story is finally winding down, so I'm afraid I couldn't take some of your suggestions on expanding it. Please read ahead and have fun. And thank you again. ^_^

Chapter 6 – Babysitting Duties

            Tweet. Tweet. Tweet.

            Subaru Sumeragi groaned. It was too early in the morning to be woken up by the bird perched on the oak tree right outside his window. Groggily he got up and shot the offending noisemaker a glare. The sparrow just tilted his head, and hopped closer to alight on Subaru's hand. Subaru had an affinity with animals; when he was younger he had wanted to become a zookeeper. But right now…

            "GET OUT!" Subaru's eye twitched.

            The bird flew off in an indignant huff, but not before he had left a gooey green-white surprise on Subaru's palm. 

            "AHHHHH!"

*************

            Arashi, Sorata, and Yuzuriha looked up from their breakfast at the yell. Kamui was too busy making words out of his alphabet cereal to care. A few minutes later, they heard the routine sounds of running water, so they resumed eating. Kamui was giggling while making another nasty word in his milk when the onmyouji entered the dinning room. 

            "Subaru-san?" Yuzuriha inquired. The man's face was calm and detached. The only thing out of place was the little tick under Subaru's left eye, but that was already fading.

            "I'm fine. Thank you, Yuzuriha-chan, Arashi-san, and Sorata-san, for taking care of me, while I was…er…" Subaru blushed, mortified at the few memories he could recall from the blur that had been the past few days.

            "No problem," Sorata grinned.

            "Yep, now that you're all better you can help us take care of Kamui-kun," Yuzuriha added.

            "Of course."

            "Subaru-san, I am glad to see you well again. I'm afraid I have to say goodbye rather abruptly. I have a meeting with Hinoto-sama, today," Arashi bowed and left the table. 

            "Oh, and I have to meet someone at the park," Yuzuriha knocked herself in the head with the back of her palm. Then she gobbled the last of her eggs down and bolted out the door with a loud, "Bye-bye!"

            "Su~baru, come look at what I made," Kamui tugged on the onmyouji's sleeve. 

            "Uh…I really got a hankering of some of that food at the new restaurant down the street. I promise I'll be back really soon," Sorata laughed and edged his way out the door. Subaru blinked, and sat with Kamui as he made a few jokes and giggled at his cereal. Subaru tried not to turn red and endured Kamui's crass comments for fifteen minutes. It became apparent that the others had abandoned him, and would NOT be returning anytime "soon."

            "Su~baru," Kamui suddenly stopped in his lewd ramblings and leaned against the older man's neck, his breath heavy and warm. "Can we please, I mean, w-will you…" He fiddled around with the buttons of Subaru's dress shirt. Subaru swallowed as Kamui's breaths tickled his ear. Kamui shyly beamed, "Will you buy me some more chocolate ice cream?"

             Getting exactly what he deserved for thinking along such indecent lines (at least in the authoress' opinion), Subaru fell over in his chair and painfully bumped his head. 

*************

            Seishirou Sakurazuka whistled as he walked jauntily down the crowded street. Today, Subaru would be back to his normal self. It would be fun teasing his prey again, now that the drug had worn off, and there would be no unexpected reactions. It was cute to see Subaru act so childlike again, and the heat that had coursed through him when Subaru had licked the ice-cream had been nice…but there was nothing like seeing Subaru's green eyes clouded in pain, anger…and perhaps longing, as he gazed at him. Seishirou sighed. His nose tickled when he caught a whiff of mouth-watering scents down the next block. Ah…a food fair! It _really_ was going to be a wonderful day.

*************

            "Kamui, please wait up," Subaru huffed as Kamui caught the smell of cotton candy and sprinted off into one of downtown Tokyo's semi-annual street fairs. He had already eaten five chocolate cones, but the boy actually wanted _more_. Kamui really was too much…who knew the savior of earth had a notorious sweet tooth and could act so flighty?

            _Like you've been any better._

            Subaru winced…he did not need his conscience talking to him. But, it wasn't much of a problem. If he was still 16, he would be reliving each embarrassing moment, worrying if his behavior had been an inconvenience for some one. Subaru Sumeragi didn't have time for that anymore; his mind was already full of sorrow and sakura…

            _Hokuto-chan, you would've loved to see this._

Subaru did not realize he had declined into a slow amble while he was preoccupied. The onmyouji halted, and gazed around. It was late afternoon, and a few lanterns were already lit. Happy couples passed by in printed kimonos and yukatas. Small children were shrieking thorough the streets. A boy was proudly bellowing out to everyone how he had caught a goldfish at one of the stands. A group of junior high girls were debating across from him; should they buy the oily foods at the price of meager weekly allowances, and slim figures? It was an ordinary, everyday scene in Tokyo. And it would remain a lovely memory, just like his sister, in Subaru's mind forever…apocalypse or not. 

            "Subaru!" It seemed to Subaru, that he had wasted hours chasing after Kamui. The boy had actually turned back on his own after sensing his fellow Dragon of Heaven was no longer following him.

            "Kamui."

            "Do you want to try that?" Kamui tugged his sleeves toward the goldfish game.

            "Erm…Kamui," Subaru's cheeks turned pink as he saw a few people pass by them with curious glances. The game was quite juvenile; only children were captivated by it.

            "I remember…Kotori, Fuuma, and me…we used to play this every fair," Kamui smiled wistfully. The smile melted away, until only nostalgia remained in his eyes. "That was before I moved…it was a long time ago." Subaru stared at him for a silent moment. 

            "Do you want a fish?" He took of his coat and pushed it towards Kamui.

            "Nani?"

            "I'll take that as a yes," Subaru rolled up the sleeves of his black turtleneck and nodded to the vendor. Kamui fumbled in Subaru's coat pocket for payment. Subaru was presented with a string with the hook, which he slowly lowered. It caught the tied up end of one balloon. He drew up the thread slowly; if he made any sudden movements the balloon would drop back into the tub of water. But Subaru Sumeragi was a patient man…after all, he had waited for years to be found by the Sakurazukamori. 

            "Thanks Subaru," Kamui beamed as the vendor handed him a plastic bag in exchange for Subaru's balloon. Kamui began to make faces at the goldfish swimming frantically within his grasp. 

            "Hello, Subaru-kun." 

            Subaru jerked. He had not expected the sinuous voice from his daily recollections to be suddenly relocated behind his ear. 

            "Hello, Seishirou-san."

            "You're back to normal I see. That cool look is back in your green eyes. Pity, I did miss that other Subaru."

            "Other Subaru?"

            "The one that had ice cream on me yesterday."

            "_On_ you? Even if I did, don't you mean _with_ you?" Subaru's eyes widened in confusion. Seishirou could see the question marks all over his prey's face. Subaru really had not changed…not where it counted. 

            "No…of course not. How could you forget that intimate moment?" Seishirou neared closer to the Sumeragi, until he breathed into his right ear, "How could you forget what you – OUCH!" Seishirou glared. He had forgotten that they had an audience. Kamui was seething. He looked like he wanted to kick Seishirou in the knee again. 

            "You can't have him!"

            "Huh?" Both Seishirou and Subaru blinked.

            "You already took Fuuma away from me…he treated you to ice cream. When we were little, he never treated Kotori or me!" Kamui sniffed like a small child. Logically, a seven-year-old Fuuma wouldn't have had the financial means to treat his friends to sweets. The drugged mind of the Earth's savior had strangely regressed and become more unbalanced.

            "Kamui, are you okay?" Subaru looked concerned. While Seishirou remained surprised, Kamui glomped onto his friend. 

            "Hey!" Seishirou tried to pry off the touch-feely boy that was molesting _his_ toy. The said boy wasn't called Kamui for nothing; it was easier to get week-old bubble gum out of hair. After several attempts, the assassin gave up. Seishirou labored to breathe, then coughed when he caught Subaru staring oddly at him. He smoothed back his hair and lit a cigarette, but the tick above Seishirou's right temple dashed away any hopes he had of maintaining the façade of the Sakurazukamori's supposed composure in all situations, be they small or great. 

            "Seishirou-san, are you…are you sweating?"

            "Of course not," Seishirou donned on his sunglasses. 

            "Are you sure?  I can see it coming down your right cheek."

            "I'm NOT!" Seishirou yelled. Subaru was taken back by his dark counterpart's frustration and fury. "Ahem…I guess this is not a good time to visit you," Seishirou stared at the crowd gathering around them at his outburst. "I'll play with you later, Subaru-kun," Wearing a debonair smile, he melted away in a flurry of sakura. Children began to clap at the show, catching the blossoms that faded to nothingness just as their fingertips began to learn the flowers' soft texture.

            Subaru blinked. Was it his imagination, or had Seishirou taken out a lacy _pink_ handkerchief in the last fleeting moments to dab his head with? 

            "Subaru! Let's go get sweets!" 

            Subaru yelped as he was dragged down the street by a less than sane Kamui – the action definitely did _not_ enhance the dignity of the 13th head of the Sumeragi Clan. His grandmother would be frowning right now if she saw his predicament, but Hokuto-chan - she'd be laughing. Subaru smiled. 

**************

            Three hours later. 

            Current residence of the Dragons of Heaven.

            "Oh, my stomach hurts!" Kamui groaned as he rolled dramatically around on the sofa, and fell off. 

            "Kamui!" Subaru helped him up from the living room rug. "You shouldn't have eaten so much at the fair!"

            "Can't help it…everything looked so delicious," Kamui panted, clutching his stomach. He dropped back down to the floor, and rolled until he was face down on the carpet.

            "Kamui, stop playing games," Subaru sighed. "Kamui?"

            The savior of Earth was not moving. 

            "Kamui!" Subaru bent down to grab hold of him. At that moment, three Dragons of Heaven appeared at the door with surprised faces that shifted quickly into horror and concern. Subaru Sumeragi clinched his teeth. Sumeragis did not make good baby-sitters. 

            "Subaru-san?"

            "I'm sorry. Please, help me," Subaru could not help the panic from seeping out of his voice as he frantically shifted Kamui's dead weight into his arms. It was awkward, trying to get the unconscious boy to the sofa. 

            Three Dragons of Heaven sweat-dropped; so these were the repercussions of abandoning Kamui to Subaru. Apparently the Sumeragi could handle spirits, ghosts, inugami and deadly assassins, but when it came to one innocently sleeping boy…

            "Ah!" A loud thump.

            …Subaru Sumeragi was no match.

The End

Next  – Epilogue

It's almost the end folks, please **review**!


	7. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own X or its characters – that honor belongs to the wonderful CLAMP alone. 

Warnings: Shounen-ai of the S+S kind. Yes, my bias finally shows its colors. Sorry Kamui/Subaru fans. ^_^;;

Epilogue

"Hmm…the boy seems to be allergic to a combination of the drug and high sugar levels. Vast amounts of glucose allowed the drug's effects to be increased ten-fold, and his body shut down temporarily from the shock. However, the drug has almost run its course, so Kamui-kun here will be waking up soon enough." Dr. Koizumi adjusted his glasses. Three Dragons of Heaven breathed sighs of relief. One remained silent.

"Thanks, doc. We can take him home?"

"Of course." He turned way from Sorata. "Sumeragi-san, I take it the drug has already worn off on you?"

Subaru nodded, but his gaze was still quietly on the unconscious boy. "I'll watch him."

"Subaru-san, are you sure?" Yuzuriha inquired. 

"Please let me redeem myself."

"It's not your fault. I think I would have given into him, too. No one can stand the sadness in his eyes. It's too bad he used it against you in begging you to buy him some treats." Sorata put a friendly arm on Subaru's shoulder.

"Thank you Sorata. But he was my responsibility. I'll stay."

"We'll try to contact you if any Dragons of Earth are spotted," Arashi said politely as the group left Kamui's room.

"Thank you."

*************

"Stalking your prey?" /Kamui/ smirked as he walked around one of the sakura trees on CLAMP campus. The Sakurazukamori was leaning against the trunk, and watching the scene unfold through his shinigami's eyes perched at the window of Kamui's room. Subaru had not moved from Kamui's bedside for over an hour.

"Yes. I was bored, and Subaru-kun can be quite amusing." 

"You're not smoking. You're watching your prey with all your concentration this time. People do not do that when they find something merely amusing."

Kamui's eyelashes fluttered. Subaru jerked.

"This circumstance is an exception."

"Really? I wonder why?" 

Subaru's solemn face had been altered by a small smile as the onmyouji took hold of one of Kamui's hands. The boy was groggy and still blinking the vestiges of sleep away. 

"I wonder why you are here," Seishirou retorted. His shinigami shifted on the windowsill. Subaru still had not noticed their voyeur. 

"Why, our destinies are foreordained. The fate of Kamui and I are intertwined. Such as is yours and the Sumeragi's."

Something flickered in Seishirou's eyes for a brief moment when Kamui reciprocated Subaru's grasp. The boy was now wide-awake. A murmured conversation began. The Sakurazukamori didn't need to listen in on their conversation to know that Subaru was apologizing for some offense. The Sumeragi's green eyes were full of guilt.

"_I-I'm so sorry, Seishirou-san!"_

Once, Subaru had been concerned over him, too.

"You don't need to be so wary, Sakurazukamori-san. Your marks on him glow brightly. Strangely enough, I think the Sumeragi finds comfort in that."

"Perhaps as a source of hate. He wishes to kill me." 

/Kamui/ laughed. "His wish is very different from your own. It is one you would not expect."

Seishirou startled at the same time as Subaru did. The white onmyouji had noticed the bird of prey peering in from the closed window. Subaru's grasp slid away from Kamui's as he approached the bird. Seishirou held his breath. There was something in the green gaze. Something only for the Sakurazukamori…eternally for the one called Seishirou Sakurazuka.

"Goodbye, Sakurazukamori." /Kamui/ disappeared. He no longer wore his patronizing smirk. 

Green eyes met the golden of Seishirou's bird. 

"Sayonara, Subaru-kun. Now I know…our next meeting will be our last." Seishirou melted away in a breeze of Sakura petals with something akin to happiness in his smile. His bird of prey dissipated along with its master, abandoning Subaru.

"Subaru?" Kamui sat up. His purple eyes were back to their normal melancholy. He stood up to stand besides Subaru. It was a long while before Subaru noticed him.

"Kamui! You shouldn't be up!"

"Is everything okay?" His fingers clutched around one of Subaru's sleeves.

"Of course, although I've never been high on drugs before. Are you?" Subaru laughed. Only the most sensitive of ears could have heard the echo of melancholy in their charming peal. Kamui did not hear it. 

The gears of fate moved… 

"Yeah," Kamui beamed back.

"I'm glad."

…Rainbow Bridge and the solemn fulfillment of 1999 awaited. 

The (Very) End 

I want to thank all my readers, reviewers, and my editor, Yele. If you haven't done so already, please **review**! This is my first completed multi-chapter fic, and I'd love some feedback. Thanks for taking the journey with me! 


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